McAuley Volleyball Standout Ellie White 'Gatorade Player Of The Year'

CHICAGO — Mother McAuley Liberal Arts High School senior and volleyball powerhouse Ellie White was named the 2023-2024 Gatorade Illinois Volleyball Player of the Year. The award, which celebrates the nation’s top high school athletes for excellence on the court, in the classroom and in the community, distinguishes White as Illinois’ best high school volleyball player.

White played a key role in McAuley’s back-to-back IHSA girls Class 4A volleyball state championships. The state’s returning Gatorade Player of the Year, the 5-foot-11 senior outside hitter led the Mighty Macs to a 39-5 record and a second straight Class 4A state championship this past season. White recorded 484 kills with a .437 kill percentage and a .402 hitting percentage, including 18 kills in McAuley’s 2-1 win over Benet Academy in the state final. A natural setter, White also compiled 313 digs, 95 blocks and 37 service aces while earning MaxPreps.com First Team All-American honors for a second straight year. She concluded her prep volleyball career with 1,923 kills and 1,016 digs.

“Ellie truly is a six-rotation outside hitter,” said Ellen Yopchick in a news release, head coach of St. Laurence High School. “She is a primary passer, go-to attacker, dynamic blocker and handles 50 percent of their serve receptions. Without Ellie, I am not sure they would have won the state championship.”

White has maintained a 3.79 GPA in the classroom. She has signed a National Letter of Intent to play volleyball on scholarship at the University of Michigan this fall. A student ambassador at Mother McAuley, White is active in her school’s student government. She has volunteered locally as a youth mentor and volleyball coach, and she has donated her time as a peer tutor through the Mother McAuley National Honor Society.

The Gatorade Player of the Year program annually recognizes one winner in the District of Columbia and each of the 50 states that sanction high school football, girls volleyball, boys and girls cross country, boys and girls basketball, boys and girls soccer, baseball, softball, and boys and girls track & field, and awards one National Player of the Year in each sport. The selection process is administered by the Gatorade Player of the Year Selection Committee, which leverages experts including coaches, scouts, media and others as sources to help evaluate and determine the state winners in each sport.

From CEOs and coaches to star athletes, Gatorade Player of the Year winners showcase the power of sport, touting an all-star group of alumni that includes Harper Murray (2022-23, Skyline High School, Mich.), Kerri Walsh Jennings (1995-96, Archbishop Mitty High School, Calif.) and April Ross (1999-00, Newport Harbor High School, Calif.).

Two-time winner White joins recent Gatorade Illinois Volleyball Players of the Year Katie Hurta (2021-22, Nazareth Academy), Rachel Muisenga (2020-21, Benet Academy), and Lexi Rodriguez (2019-20, Sterling High School), among the state’s list of former award winners. As part of Gatorade’s commitment to breaking down barriers in sport, every Player of the Year also receives a grant to donate to a social impact partner. To date, Gatorade Player of the Year winners’ grants have totaled more than $4.9 million across more than 1,600 organizations.

Visit Gatorade Player of the Year program to check out past winners or to nominate student athletes. This is Gatorade’s 39th year of honoring the nation’s most elite high school athletes.